


Coffeeshop Love

by Ravenia



Series: Yurileth (FE3H) [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Abyss is now a cafe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Byleth just wanted coffee, F/M, Female My Unit | Byleth, Fluff, Garreg Mach is now an actual university, Humor, Slow Burn, Waiter Yuri, Yuri loves making Byleth blush, also best friends like annette, the houses are basically dorms, the modern golden route, we all need a claude in our lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-22 20:43:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23000134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenia/pseuds/Ravenia
Summary: All Byleth wanted was a plate of delicious pastries and a good cup of coffee. She didn’t expect to get a crush on the ridiculously pretty (and good-looking) purple-haired waiter. And did she mention that her exams were coming? That the deadline for her paper was looming? She was – completely and utterly screwed.Aka the Yurileth coffeeshop/uni AU that no one asked for.
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Yurileth (FE3H) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1654786
Comments: 16
Kudos: 126





	Coffeeshop Love

**XXX**

“ _You don’t find love, it finds you. It’s got a little to do with destiny, fate and what’s written in the stars.”_

\- Anais Nin

**X**

[ **Song recommendations:** It’s You - Henry; By Chance (You & I) (Acoustic) - JR Aquino]

**XXX**

"Miss Eisner." _Oh no_. "Please stay for a minute."

She was so screwed, wasn't she?

Letting out a deep sigh, the young green-eyed woman trudged towards her teacher who was wiping his glasses rather absent-mindedly. Professor Hanneman was one of the most renowned scholars in Fodlan, specializing in its history and philosophy. It baffled many that the famous researcher chose to make his home at Garreg Mach University when he had much wealth earned from his numerous publications and academic articles that appeared in various media.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I wanted to talk about the progress of your dissertation on the Agarthans. Is it progressing well?"

Hiding a wince, she hedged out. "Well..." Upon seeing the unimpressed look on his face, she folded with a sigh. Her teacher knew her too well. "Okay, okay. I might be having some trouble with it."

"You _do_ know that you could talk about something else," her teacher pointed out as he massaged his temple. "Research on the Agarthans is rare, and not many places have such material for your paper. You should do well to consider an alternative topic, perhaps a study of certain Fodlan traditions prior the spread of religion."

Straightening her back while she exhaled, Byleth shook her head firmly. "No, I want to stick with it. I can do it, Professor."

Pale grey eyes studied his best student for a moment. "Very well then." He finally said, leaving it alone. "Now, in regards to your schedule, you'll be tutoring the third-year Political Science and International Relations students on Monday and Wednesday evenings when their classes start in a month. Like always, if you're unsure, you may check your campus email address as per usual and contact me if you need anything."

"Will do, Professor Hanneman," Byleth nodded before adding innocently. "And give my regards to Professor Manuela." Upon seeing the older man sputter in embarassment, the young woman simply smiled as she left.

Her smile faded as her mind turned towards the amount of workload she had. Whatever possessed her to do the research on Agarthans anyway? She must had been mental when she decided to make the decision. Why did she say no to changing her topic again?

And now she was stuck with it.

Ugh. Some coffee would be _really_ good right now...

"Hey, By!"

"Claude," a smile crossed her face briefly at the sight of the Golden Deer dorm leader. The Business and Economics student seemed as carefree as ever, his bag slung over his shoulder and easy smile on his tanned face. "I'm surprised you're alone."

"What do you mean?" He asked innocently as he fell into step beside her. Yeah, right. Claude? innocent? Never. "I need my peace and quiet sometimes, you know." A snort left her.

"Right."

"Anyway, the others were wondering if you wanted to join us this weekend for Movie Night. Some of the Lions, Eagles and a bunch of other people are coming too. You in?" Claude asked as they crossed the corridor, ignoring some of the glances tossed their way. You'd think that people would know _not_ to stop and stare, but no. For some reason, people seemed _fascinated_ by them and the fact that they were good friends despite it having been like years.

"Hmm," Byleth hummed. "I'll think about it. I need to write my paper." A resigned sigh escaped her as she side-eyed the books in her arms.

The Almyran's green eyes twinkled with amusement. "I _did_ warn you about taking up the topic, you know. About a hundred times, I might add."

"Oh, shut up," the young woman whacked her friend lightly on the arm.

"Ouch."

**\---**

_Finally, some peace and quiet_.

Plopping down her books on the cafe table, Byleth folded her arms and buried her head into them to muffle a groan. At least ten journals to go through for her thesis, three essays, tutoring materials to prep and _not to mention the upcoming_ _tests_ \- dear Sothis, what had she been thinking?

An unfamiliar cough sounded. "You know, friend, most people usually order first before collapsing into their seats."

Resisting the urge to snap at the newcomer, the young green-haired woman turned her head slightly and blinked.

He was pretty. _Really_ pretty. Soft purple hair drifted down beneathe lean shoulders, paired with refined, handsome features with a touch of androgynous to him. Pale lavender eyes regarded her with amusement while long, slim-tapered fingers curled around a pencil and notepad. The name _Abyss_ _Cafe_ was etched across the top right of his uniform.

"Right, sorry," she said once she got ahold of herself, shifting to a more comfortable position and studied the menu for a moment. "I'm not sure. What do you recommend?"

"Well, looking at your books," he eyed the pile with a shake of disapproval and distaste that made her stifle her amusement. "I'd recommend the Trickster's Special."

Byleth raised an eyebrow at the name. "So I can outwit my books?"

"Exactly," he said, flashing a smirk.

"I'll take your word for it..."

"Yuri."

"Well I'll take your word for it then, Yuri." She tested out. "I'm Byleth." A slight smile crossed her face. "So what happens if I can't outwit my books even after having the Trickster's Special?"

"You come here again and I'll recommend you a different one, of course," Yuri said this matter-of-factly, the unexpected answer catching her off-guard.

This time, she laughed.

**\---**

**One week later**

Laptop bag slung over her shoulder and a folder clasped under her arm, emerald eyes idly scanned for an empty table – preferably an isolated one where she could do her work. But well, it was… _busy_. Most of the tables were occupied, and the few that remained weren’t exactly secluded. A tinge of disappointment made itself known as the thought of having to potentially find another place to study seeped into realization.

It had been a week since her first visit to the place. Her curiosity had been aroused, leading her to research the café during the weekend. The _Abyss Café_ was truly an entity of itself, being located on a quiet street off the outskirts of the university. They also had their own distinctive clientele, serving those who couldn’t afford food and the homeless for free on a regular basis. It was rather admirable.

“Ah, I see you’re back.” Breaking out of her thoughts, the young woman was met with the sight of lavender irises and lean arms carrying a tray. “I take it that you managed to outwit your books?”

“Kind of,” she said, shrugging lightly. “Except now that I have to tackle some… prep work.” Just the thought of prep even made her shudder. Sometimes, she _really_ hated prepping teaching materials. This just happened to be one of those days.

The waiter blinked, tilting his head to the side. “Aren’t you a student?”

“I tutor on the side,” Byleth explained as she idly adjusted the strap of her bag. “But anyway, is there a place for me to sit? Preferably somewhere quiet.”

Yuri hummed for a second. “There’s a couple who just called for the bill at that corner.” He said, jerking a finger to the left. “It shouldn’t take that long. In the meantime, you can go through the menu.”

“Thanks. Though I’m curious, what _would_ you recommend me?” The words left her before she could stop herself. She couldn’t help it – the man intrigued her.

He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, lavender eyes boring into her own emerald green ones while she forced herself not to fluster under the weight of his gaze.

“The Falcon Knight,” was his response.

“I’ll have that then. I’ll…go to that table now,” Byleth said hastily as she regained control of herself and escaped. “Thanks, Yuri.”

What was wrong with her? And why did she feel so hot all of a sudden?

\---

Still, despite her…reservations, the _Abyss Café_ quickly became one of her favourite haunts with its cozy atmosphere and low-fi music. It wasn’t unusual to find her chatting with a certain lavender-eyed waiter or Constance, a blonde-haired female who was one of the baristas. Nor was it unusual for the regular customers to find the green-haired woman sitting at one of the booths in the corner quietly working on her laptop surrounded by a pile of books.

She learned that he was adopted, that he’d been working in the café for at least a couple of years. That there were two others who worked there, but were more to logistics and development.

Time flew, and soon it was time for her first tutoring session with the third-year Political Science and International Relations students after being dragged out by Hilda and Dorothea over the weekend for brunch and a movie. They had met up with Claude, Marianne, Dimitri, Dedue, and Ferdinand at the university entrance before heading off.

“...Yuri?” Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing the familiar purple hair and lavender eyes belonging to none other than the Abyss Cafe’s waiter enter the door, closing it behind him. Dressed in a casual pair of jeans and loose-fitting white top, a smug smirk etched itself across his features - _damn him_ for being so pretty. And good-looking. He was… a Garreg Mach student too?

And of course he would be in her tutoring group. Really?

They were _so_ going to talk after this, she silently vowed to herself. Knowing him though, she wouldn’t be the least surprised if he had set this all up. Or deigned to keep it all to himself so he could see the look on her face.

Smug, insufferable pretty boy.

Clearing her throat, Byleth turned her focus to the rest of the group and was surprised (again) to see a few familiar faces. Ashe, Annette, Lindhardt, Marianne…

“Welcome to the group,” she greeted. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Byleth, and I’ll be your tutor for History this semester. We’ll meet here on Mondays and Wednesdays every week to review the material and, if you need help, your coursework. If you can’t find me, feel free to contact Professor Hanneman or find him in his office.”

“Now, onto this week’s material…”

**\---**

As the last of them filed out the door, an exhale of relief left her while her body finally relaxed. Lindhardt had _so_ many questions - and so did Annette. Between the pair of bookworms, her brain hurt trying to keep up with their rapid line of questions. Honestly, if the two ever got together _and_ worked together, the world of academia would just _die_ of happiness. Ashe and Marianne had been a little more reserved, but diligent as they absorbed the information.

Yuri had been surprisingly somewhat reserved, asking interesting questions that prompted quite a bit of discussion. It was hard to believe this was the same snarky waiter at the Abyss.

“Boo.”

Startled, Byleth whirled around to see amusement lining aforementioned person’s stupidly good-looking face.

“Was that really necessary?” she demanded, poking a finger into his chest. “You’re lucky I don’t have a weapon.” A huff left the emerald-eyed woman as she shook her head.

Yuri’s eyes glinted, the edge of his lips tugging into a smirk. “What’s wrong? Not happy to see me?”

Green locked on lavender for a short moment, and it was as if the atmosphere was suddenly charged with static electricity. _When did he even....?_

Gradually, realization that they were in rather close proximity dawned on the woman. She had always known that Yuri was taller than her, but this...this was something else entirely.

She could almost feel the warmth from his body.

“No, you’re annoying,” Byleth managed when she finally settled on a response, trying not to blush. Why was he so close to her anyway? “I didn’t know you were a student here too.”

“You never asked,” pointed out the purple-haired man casually.

“But you knew I was.”

A shrug. “What can I say? Oh - don’t look at me like that, fine. I’ll toss you a bone. I’m a third-year student here, and I’m taking History as an elective.”

“Onto more interesting things,” A flash of mischief flitted across his features, sending warning bells through her mind. “Are you actually blushing?”

_Damn it._

“Well, you’re unnecessarily close,” Byleth said, refusing to look at him and choosing to look at a spot on the wall.

“Oh, but it’s so much fun seeing you like this. It’s rather adorable.”

 _Breathe, Byleth_. _Breathe._

“Fortunately for you, I have errands to run for Abyss right now, so I’ll see you around.” He stepped back, but not before curling his fingers around her hand and pressing it to his lips with a mischievous wink. 

And then he left.

Sothis preserve her. One of these days, she was going to get him for it, vowed the young woman as she tried to keep from blushing and to finish packing her stuff.

Damn him, and damn his charm.

\---

**Some time later**

“So what’s going on with you and that Yuri guy?” asked Annette.

They were hanging out at the Goneril’s estate in the Alliance neighbourhood. Ingrid and Mercedes were in the kitchen, baking (well, more like _Mercedes_ was baking and trying to teach Ingrid how to) while Hilda and Dorothea had gotten into a deep discussion about fashion somewhere. Probably Hilda’s room.

Which left her and Annette by the pool.

“Nothing,” insisted Byleth as she shook out the water from her hair. “We’re just friends.”

“ _Righhhht_ ,” the Pharmacy student drew out her reply in disbelief. “Which is why you’re actually blushing. How _did_ the two of you meet anyway?”

Refusing to acknowledge the first point, she answered, “At the cafe he works at. I wanted some coffee and ended up finding the place.”

“Wait, so is that where you’ve been these days after class?” demanded Annette.

“Pretty much? I needed some peace and quiet to go through the books,” the Master’s student shrugged as she idly pushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. “And it’s nice and quiet there.”

“...And you're sure you’re there for work and not for him?”

“Annette!”

\---

Pushing the now-familiar doors of the Abyss cafe open, Byleth nodded in greeting to Constance and some of the regulars who knew her by now and made her way to a table at the back.

A quiet gust of breath left her as she dropped her bag unceremoniously onto one of the chairs beside her and stretched. It had been a long day - and it didn’t look like it would stop anytime soon.

Professor Hanneman’s unexpected leave of absence had caught her off-guard. Apparently, he’d caught a flu bug during the weekend and was only expected to be back in two to three days. Which meant she couldn’t go to his office for consultation and could only rely on the phone and email. Ugh.

Not to mention the essays she had to grade, the analysis for her paper, having to clean up her place and -

Just thinking about it all made her head spin.

“Long day, friend?”

A small smile curved up from the edge of her lips as Yuri slid into the seat opposite her. “Yuri.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” the man said, clucking his tongue.

“You could say that. Professor Hanneman’s sick.”

“Well, don’t mind me, but you look like you’re _about_ to be sick,” Yuri said matter-of-factly before sliding his gaze towards her books and laptop.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Hmmm....nope. You’re coming with me,” the Abyss waiter stated as he stood up and gathered her books.

“Yuri -”

“Nope. It’s either you come with me, or I’ll kidnap your stuff.”

Byleth resisted the urge to hit him.

“Don’t you have work today?”

“Nah, it’s my day off. I just came in to check on something. Now come on.”

Annoyed, but realizing that he wasn’t going to leave her alone, Byleth gave in reluctantly and stood, grabbing her bag and laptop. “Fine, let’s go then.”

“So where’re we going?” she asked, falling into step beside him. His strides were easy, confident and graceful, reminding her of trackletes who were fast and light on their feet.

His smirk was infuriating.

“You’ll see.” Pulling out a set of keys, he pressed a button, triggering a ‘beep’ from his car around the corner.

“Not even a hint?”

“Nope.”

 ~~Why did she have a crush on him again~~

Why were they friends again?

\---

Emerald green eyes widened at the sight as excitement surged through her veins.

“You brought me to a carnival?” Byleth breathed out, her worries about her impending papers and studies fading away. It had been a long time since she had been to one. The last time she had was before her father passed away two years ago. She had since then thrown herself into her studies and work.

Impulsively, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him briefly, not noticing him stiffening in surprise. “Thank you.”

“Now come on, let’s go,” Byleth said, releasing him and grabbing his hand. Where to start… There were the rollercoasters and shooting range, candied apples and cotton candy - ooh, there was so much to do!

If she had turned back then, she would’ve seen Yuri’s features soften, a rare genuine smile tugging on the edge of his lips.

\--

“That was fun,” exhaled Byleth in satisfaction and delight, enjoying her cotton candy as they walked on the edge of the waterfront. They had decided to take a short walk before heading back to the car.

“It was,” agreed Yuri. “I have to say though, I didn’t expect you to be so bad at catching the goldfish.”

“...The nets were defective.”

He snorted. “Right, and I’m the Archbishop.”

“Who’s to say you weren’t in another life?”

Yuri blinked at her in surprise before starting to laugh. “Have that much faith in me, do you? Appreciate it, but no, probably not. I’m not exactly a religious type of guy.”

“Neither am I,” the green-haired woman shrugged before taking another bite of her cotton candy. “Seriously though, Yuri…”

Byleth looked up at him and smiled softly. “Thanks.” Tipping on her toes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek before moving to step away -

Only for her hand to be caught with his and pulled against his chest, the rest of the cotton candy falling onto the ground. “You know, it’s rude to just walk away.” His voice was low, breath tickling the tip of her ear and making her flush.

Yuri searched her gaze with his own, and apparently, finding what he was looking for, tilted her chin up with a finger and kissed her on the lips. Byleth melted into him, revelling in the comfort of his warmth and presence.

She felt safe.

Loved. At peace.

“So are we dating then?” asked Byleth once they pulled away, breathless.

“Well, I’m not letting you go, so…” Yuri trailed off before kissing her quickly again. “I guess we are.”

Rolling her emerald eyes, she shook her head. “You’re lucky I like you.”

“I know.”

  
  


**XX**

_You're the right time at the right moment_

_You're the sunlight, keeps my heart going_

_Oh, know when I'm with you, I can't keep myself from falling_

_Right time at the right moment_

_It's you_

_You, it's you_

_You, it's you_

**“It’s You” - Henry Lau**

**XX**

**Author's Note:**

> help me I've fallen into a pit of Yuri/Byleth fics lol
> 
> have a warm and fuzzy day <3


End file.
